Their Graduation

Just conducted the last lecture, the last tutorial for the year
Definitely have not said my last goodbye, my last word
For I’m sure we will still meet again and talk again
And more sharing in the years to come by

In the ceremony we were sitting by
Submerged in many utterances of kind words, demonstration of kind deeds
And many proofs that the eloquence of our students is fine
Quite memorable and certainly a delight

In just a few weeks’ time the examination will start
So nervous and anxious they are
Sleepless nights and panda’s eyes
Mind over body, they continue to strive

Getting good grades is all in their mind
Helping their friends along they also try
I can only say Good Luck to all
A helping hand from me they can rely.

Flashes going off from many perspectives
We smile and we pose allowing the shooting to continue
The aim being to freeze the precious moments for remembrance
What a wonder, technology making it all possible

Maybe it’s good time now for me to reflect
What have I done not right and what I should continue to strive
Have I make their learning journey joyful
Or am I just a stranger passing by

I hope they are not just good graduate of the college
But also a graduate in other aspects in life
Continue to learn and re-learn
The journey is long and the future is ours to define

Come next year March when the results are out
I hope they can shine
I will be so happy to say
Well done *little pals, the future for you is bright

~ Happy Bear ~
(o: Happy for them :o)

- - - - - - - - - -



有一位圣者这么说：

念头的起伏本来就很正常，只不过不要去放纵这样而已。
人非圣贤，谁能保证自己念头不会有一丝一毫的错误。
就算圣人也不敢担保自己每一个念头的起伏、
每一个念头的出发都是好的、都是善的。
但是圣人在念头起伏的同时，
他能够去发现、能够去自觉、能够去导正，
这是一个人自我提升的空间跟机会。

强制压抑欲念，反而会让自己更执著、更多欲念。
不如在欲念产生的同时，去反观自己的心，去看看自己；
是不是真的那么在乎这些、是不是真的这样执著这些？
如果不是的话，那么这些念头的起伏，
为何要让它干碍自己的路、或是平时所做的每一件事？
当你专心在做一件事的时候，
你对你的欲念、你的起心动念，不会去在乎很多，
因为你专注的是当下的这件事情。

固然你知道你的念头起伏有很多不妥，不执著的同时，
这些也自然而然就消失无影无踪。
但不一定，再一次就不会再有同样的事情发生。
不过，在不断又不断的淡化跟转化之下，
你能够慢慢去净化自己。

杂思片语

昨夜才提到心中之努火要提防；
今早遇上某人我却以破功收场。

说来自惭两人怒目而各唱各调；
看来自身内涵也不过如此一般。

本想收手但怨声再起我岂不理？
又来插手但表达拙却惹来事端。

无心怪于某人只叹多人会遭殃；
有心想圆融一点我又该怎么办？

事发前后心情起伏自然蛮不安；
还好几位好友轻言安慰才能降。

我并不担心自身会有如何下场；
只是可惜我没能建立个好榜样。

还以为可减轻八月秋初的秋意；
如今好象倍增九月秋中的秋寒。

You Call That Study Leave?

Just trying out a slightly different way of presentation...

- - - - - - - - - -

~ ~ Water Stirs ~ ~

Emotion stirred quite a bit, when I first learnt that the *little pals have to go through such. Of course, again, I may not be right. If it is already so decided, what can I do? Erm.. At least I can't keep quiet.

So Dreamy..

A *little pal messaged :
you know me dreamt of you messaging me eh. Or was it not a dream? Haha… really blur now. Looked through my inbox, never see your message leh. Or did I delete it while half asleep?

I played along and returned a message :
I was telling you about…
.
you…
.
you.. .
.
you deleted it? ..
.
.
Haiz..
nvm…
..

:o(

.
.
.
.
.
.
I was just telling you that you sleep like a pig. :p

- - - - - -

Is that the effect of studying too hard? Haha..
Maybe I should be a little glad that the dream was not about me darting formulae at them, or me going after their assignments, etc.

I have my fair share of dreamy state, and sometimes confusing reality and dream. Dream can feel so real, yet I'm often very aware while I was dreaming. I mean I saw the thing I want to see, I saw the person I want to see, I experienced what I wish to experience and during which I know very well that I was only dreaming, no matter how good, no matter how wonderful the dream is.

Nightmare for me? Very very rare. It came by only when I asked for it. Heh.. I remember once I thought to myself, "It's good to have nightmares. I can experience the scariest thing, experience near-death, yet in real life, I am so safe". After that thought, I had a series of nightmares for days. No joke! They stopped when I said to myself, "It's enough liao". Strange.

I don't like this kind of dream (dream-when-sleeping kind) anymore as dream and reality can be so different. Nevertheless, I will still dare to dream of the future and work on it.

我不在期待做梦。
因为梦与现实相差太远了。
然而，
我对将来仍然充满梦想、理想。
我也希望这样的梦想、理想可以不断地推动我一直勇敢地往前走。
当然，
我还是要提醒自己：
没有行动的梦想与理想便是所谓的空思妄想。

Linguistically Confused

When I wish to enter the Chinese text “你” by han-yu-pin-yin method,
I actually keyed in “y-o-u” and still patiently browsed through the long list of

有、由、又、油、优、游、右、尤、幼, ... ,

trying to hunt for the word “你”.

~ ~ Tired Kitty ~ ~
I must be tired. Physically tired.
The heart is also a little tired, I think. Mm...

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有一位圣者这么说：

人总是有个极限跟瓶颈，
不是每个人都有神的能力，
人也不尽然是那么十全十美，
多一点体谅，
就能够多退一步来替别人着想。

Sharing : 台南二寮清晨的美

This 台南二寮 is rather famous for the day-break photographs.
Just google the term and you may understand.
I find some photographs by a particular photographer rather amazing / breath-taking.

The photographer wrote :
连日下了十几天的豪雨，今天帶着快生菇的相机，第三次來到二寮。
这次比较晚，清晨 4:30 才到，现场已经挤满了，脚架快没位置了。
勉强找到一个角度 (太阳是在正中央 Orz)。
还好有些收获，与各位分享，谢谢赏图指教。
台南

Ladies and gentlemen, the photographs :

泼墨的二寮

居家的灯火，点缀着二寮

梦幻一般的二寮

这云雾好像一只藏匿在深山的巨鼠，一会儿功夫就不见了

尝试日出斜射并存的拍摄

左斜射、光映照的泼墨二寮

意犹未尽，层层的斜射光束，太美妙了

Wow!
If I were to set foot in Taiwan again, maybe I can consider visiting 台南二寮 very early in the morning. :o)

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有一位圣者这么说：

个人的因缘不同，能够相聚是有缘；
但是聚散离合，总是有个因缘的限制跟安排。
如果想要强求或是勉强，在勉强之下总会有许多的不顺，
而且也违反了自然的法则。

A Loving Account..

Many years back, they came together as a pair of wedded couple
He was a bus driver
She being a housewife
In the days when he was working as a bus driver
The route he took while driving happened to pass through his neigbourhood
She will time herself perfectly
And wait for him at a designated bus stop during the evening time
When the bus arrived she will board the bus
Passed to him packed warm home-cooked dinner
And she will go back home waiting for him to return after work
She will be happy knowing that he could have a decent meal at the end of that trip

At times, when she was more free
She would just accompany him while he was driving
I really mean while he was driving the bus
She would just quietly sit at the back of the bus
Accompanying him throughout the journey trips after trips
Engaging in small talks appropriately
During his off days
They would always appear in pair walking in their neighbourhood
Be in just a stroll or doing marketing for the family

He retired from being a bus driver not too long ago
That only mean they had more time together after that
How true

But few days ago, he silently retired from this mortal world
We know it is so difficult for her to take it …
From always being lovingly together for more than 30 years to …

人到黄昏，仍要孤飞，她会寂寞无助吗？
希望她能在亲朋好友的支持关怀下，仍然勇敢地走下去。

正值壮年，多代同堂，就会温馨美满吗？
希望我们也能够找到幸福美满之窍，更有意义地往前走。

- - - - -

Is this what we call the impermanence nature of life at large?

When there is a beginning (no matter how sweet, how bitter..), there will be an ending (no matter how long or how abruptly it will take..).

We have come to this mortal world quite some time ago.
We know full well one day we will be silently retired from this mortal existence.
What will we leave behind?
We remember we bring practically nothing (physical) when we arrived.
So don’t ever dream of taking anything away (physical) when we leave.

Maybe we should think beyond the physical sense.
Did we bring joy and laughter to the people around us?
How about some sense of security or a higher degree of comfort-ness with our company?
Or did we just spend our (limited) time otherwise?
Or just taking time to pick the bones in others?

Our mortal existence is not a long one.
Live it well, not in the selfish sense.

How would you choose to live it?

You are My Angel in Disguise

When I walked past N, he tried to show me something he had written in red on a piece of paper. He covered the lower portion and only showed me the upper portion. The handwriting was a little small and I squirted a little trying to figure out what was written. The upper portion read :
You are my angel in disguise.

That was sweet, wasn’t it? He was then smiling sheepishly. Mm.. Something fishy. He asked me to continue to see, when he gradually uncovered the lower portion. I saw a ring. That must be a halo, I guessed. I was right. He continued to uncover and I gradually saw a portion of a supposedly circular part appearing. That must be a head, I imagined. I was right again. In just a while, I saw the whole picture. It was a pig with a halo. Argg.. A dead pig??!! An angel in disguise??!! Totally in perfect disguise! Hahaha.. I would’ve given him a hard smack on his head if we were not in the midst of a lesson. Kidding.

Back to the phrase “Angel in Disguise”.
There is a relatively popular song by this title. Just about a week ago, I was approached to translate the lyrics to some people. Headache. But I tried anyway.

My (first) attempt went like this :

今早醒来觉得心情好郁闷
下了床拖着沉重的脚步去过了房间
就在大门前有一朵玫瑰
并附上了小纸条写着“有人喜欢你”

正走在大街上的时候，一场大雨忽而倾盆而下
在我还未曾淋得像落汤鸡之前
有一位陌生人向我跑来
给了我他身后的一件夹克，好让我遮雨
我转过身要跟他道谢
他只是脸带笑容地向我挥挥手
我不敢相信我的眼睛
他好像带上了光环渐渐飞去

试着来体会周遭最平凡的一切
无需刻意去寻找天堂
你的身旁或许就有一位天使的化身

约了一位好友共进午餐
我们共享好美味的一顿
可是我竟然忘了带钱包
我觉得我自己好糊涂
可是我朋友他人可好
不但请了我一顿
还买了一个三明治给我带回家当茶点

一位男子拖着行囊走在街头上
他没有食物可吃
他只有到处游荡
靠着善心人士的善举过活
我把我的三明治给了他
也和他简单的聊了一会儿
在他眼中我仿佛看到了一道彩虹
他给了我他的光环
我便开始飞了起来

试着来体会周遭最平凡的一切
无需刻意去寻找天堂
你的身旁或许就有一位天使的化身
不要躲着我
我知道你就在我的身旁

试着来体会周遭最平凡的一切
无需刻意去寻找天堂
你的身旁或许就有一位天使的化身
每一天都可以过得很传奇
每一分钟都可以有无限的惊喜
你也可以成为下一位天使的化身

今早醒来觉得会是个很美好的开始。

The original lyrics can be found here.

Haha.. The translation may be a little strange. Find it rather difficult to capture the essence of the song. Never mind. However, I actually appreciate the song better after this out-of-the-blue attempt.

Yes, everyone can be an angel to someone. If you are “powerful” enough, you can even be an angel to everyone. Look around us, it may just take a small gesture of kindness to let another person feels good, warm, secured, welcomed, etc. We don’t have to first possess a halo and/or a pair of wings to do that.

We know it feels good at the receiving end of a simple kind gesture. If we really have learnt, then we should take every opportunity to be at the giving end as well. How I like the idea “we could be the next angel in disguise”. Mm...

Oh, certainly, there are many angels by my side. Yes, you.. he.. she.. them..

- - - - - - - - - -

天使不一定带有光环，
也不一定要长有一双翅膀。
同样的，魔鬼也不一定是青面獠牙，
它也可以如菩萨般地慈眉善眼。

Oh WELL..

Just recall that a few days ago, I was talking about well – a water source. I’m actually rather fascinated by well, I remember during my childhood days, one of the many attractions at my maternal grandmother’s house is the well she had, besides many durian trees around. Yup in those days, durians were seasonal and pricey, but we needn’t pay a single cent to eat the savory fruit. Oh, how I had digressed. Back to the well.

I liked to play by the well, very much to the adults’ dislike. The water was so refreshing, so clear. Taking a quick bath by the side of the well during a hot day was unarguably the best treat. Ha. That well wasn’t that deep and I could see the bottom of the well quite clearly. Besides the clear water, there were rocks, sand and noticeably some greens. I would just stare at the bottom or try and learn to draw out some pails of water myself. Oh drawing water from a deep well using just a pail (with string attached) needs quite a bit of practice, surely.

When I grow older, but still young, I began to question.

- Is the water from the well, rain water? Erm.. Rain can get in obviously, but it can’t be just rain water. In my own kampong house back in the 80s, we collected rain water with huge containers. The rain water was then used for washing and cleaning purposes around the house, including daily showering of the pigs and the pig sties. But if the rain water was left untouched for a few days, I would see many mosquito larves floating within. In other words, collected rain water appeared stale and it was not meant to be used from drinking or cooking purposes.

- Who puts in the water? I had noted, we can draw out pails and pails of water, but the level maintained the same. This is so cool! But why?

- The water may appear a little cloudy during stormy days, but otherwise, it is often very clear, very fresh. Why? Tell me, please.

- I drank from the well directly. A natural response, I guess. I feared the collected rain water. Looking at the swimming mosquitoe larves had that repelling/close-to-disgusting effect. Haha..

- Who is the first one being so smart to dig so deep into the ground in search of water? Really so smart.

Of course, many of my “queries” were answered (or partially so) by now. Still, I find well pretty amazing.

Another magical observation I have missed :
If we were to draw some water from the well often enough (daily, maybe), the water remains fresh. If we choose not to draw from the well for weeks, the well will never have the problem of spilling over. On top of that, the water of an unused well will also become stale, much like the collected rain water I talked about earlier. This is the part I like best. And of course, an interesting saying I heard years before re-surfaced :

布施犹如井中水，一边吊打一边盛，
三日五日不打水，何曾淹到井槛边。

这一句话有一点禅意。试着领悟。 :o)

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有一位圣者这么说：

这次如果失败，也不要指责自己，
下次再不断的用心，失败没有关系，
但是我们要得到教训。

My Day…

Kidding. It’s Children’s Day. Haha..
Err.. But am I entirely wrong? There is a child in everyone, you know?

As the years pass on, we will age by and by
These added years are valuable
For together with these, we have added experiences and wisdom
Have we not?

Nevertheless, let’s not forget
We can still be young at heart
Not mean to act childish
But being able to engage the youthful bunch
Understanding them, guiding them
And to learn together with them

岁月给咱增添的不单是岁数，还有智慧。
懂得善用否？
岁月或许也在我们的面容上留下了痕迹。
不要只懂得掩饰这外在的容颜，而忘却心灵早以老化。
我们的年龄心境决定…
这应该不是 Ah Q 吧。
有的年少者，过于的老气横秋。
却有的年长者，仍可与青少年打成一片。关键于何？

哈哈…
岁数不要让它白白地增加。
我们也曾经年轻过…
我们要了解那一种心境。
在保持那一种心境，加上我们如今比较成熟的观点来待人处世，应该不错。

So…
Be it Youth Day or Children’s Day,
Let’s Celebrate. :o)

孩子们的单纯，我们失去了吗？
复杂的心灵又带给了我们什么？
孩子懂的少，烦恼也少；我们懂的多，烦恼就多。真的是这样吗？
孩子们，今日吵架，多半明日仍然还是兄弟一场。我们做的到吗？

- - - - - - - - - -



老师：
「请班长选三人出來，我要『班』花。」

班长就很认真地选出三个漂亮的妹妹，
妹妹们很害羞地问：「要做什么事呢」

老师：「跟我去搬花！」